


A Healthy Amount of Worry

by TELLTALEGIRL



Series: Van Der Linde family [2]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Dutch is a worrier, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Hosea is best dad, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Poor Arthur, Protective Dutch, Protective Hosea Matthews, Tags Are Hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:40:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25097764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TELLTALEGIRL/pseuds/TELLTALEGIRL
Summary: "Hosea have you seen Arthur at all today?" Dutch couldn't help but voice his worry to his long time friend. Continuing his pacing he can hear the exasperation in Hosea's answer. Looking up from his book Hosea pins Dutch with a unwavering blue eyed stare. "He was here early this morning, he must just be out for a bit." Dutch scoffs at Hosea's words. He knows he shouldn't worry too much that Arthur always did things like this.But after the whole Colm thing had happened Dutch had started to watch his boy like a hawk. Arthur even voiced his opinion about his worry, but Dutch wouldn't have any of it.
Relationships: Arthur Morgan & Dutch van der Linde, Charlotte Balfour/Arthur Morgan, Hosea Matthews & Arthur Morgan, Hosea Matthews/Dutch van der Linde
Series: Van Der Linde family [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817668
Comments: 1
Kudos: 39





	A Healthy Amount of Worry

"Hosea have you seen Arthur at all today?" Dutch couldn't help but voice his worry to his long time friend. Continuing his pacing he can hear the exasperation in Hosea's answer. Looking up from his book Hosea pins Dutch with a unwavering blue eyed stare. "He was here early this morning, he must just be out for a bit." Dutch scoffs at Hosea's words. He knows he shouldn't worry too much that Arthur always did things like this.

But after the whole Colm thing had happened Dutch had started to watch his boy like a hawk. Arthur even voiced his opinion about his worry, but Dutch wouldn't have any of it. 

Growling Dutch tries to reign in his frustration. Did Arthur have a death wish?! He was barely back on his feet and now he had snuck out of camp from under Dutch's nose. Taking in a deep dreath Dutch stops in his pacing. "God give me strength, that boy is testing my patience." He mutters to no one in particular. 

Thank god he was alone in his tent with Hosea, he really didn't need anyone seeing his obvious breakdown. The only people he allowed to see him this way was Hosea and his two boys, one of which who was in deep trouble when he finds him...

The sound of a book snapping shut caused Dutch to jump slightly in surpise. Turning to the noises origin he is greeted with Hosea's disaproving stare. "Dutch I can hear you thinking from over here. You need to relax, Arthur is fine---" "How are we supposed to know that Hosea?!" Dutch cuts his friend off abruptly.

Hosea just lets out a heavy sigh when Dutch begin's his worried ranting again, followed quickly by his nervous pacing. "What if someone recognized him huh? Or god forbid Colm's bunch got him again! Hosea I can't--" Standing from his seat Hosea crosses the space between them and grabs hold of Dutch's shoulder's. 

"I know you're worried Dutch but you can't keep him in your sight forever." He tells the shaken man who tries to debate his consoling words, but Hosea stops him in his tracks with a hard stare. 

Dutch knows Hosea is right, he almost always is. But he couldn't help but worry about Arthur, after everything they had been through. He stills remembers when him and Hosea had met Arthur, he was so different back then. It had just started as a normal night. He and Hosea had just returned from a successful job and had decided to have a celebratory drink in town. 

Or that was the plan. After the first round of drinks Dutch just barely felt the weight on his belt lift. Whirling around in his seat he barely catches a glimpse of a small form retreating from the scene of the crime, Dutch's bag in hand.

The two men gave chase and were able to corner the little thief in a alley. Realising he was outnumbered the child hands the bag back over to it's owner, and the three parted ways after learning the boy's name. Dutch thought would be the last he would see of the sneaky child, but fate had other plans. On the way out of town they were passing by a small hovel of a house, when they heard a familiar screaming. 

With little to no hesitance Dutch was off his horse followed quickly by Hosea as they raced into the sad excuse of a home. The sight that greeted them was a horrendous one.

Arthur was cowering on the floor blood leaking from a cut on his cheek, and standing above him was a brute of a man still in the process of beating the child. Without thinking Dutch was on the man in an instant and he couldn't quite say exactly what happened after his sight turned red. But when the rage subsided he found himself crouching down beside Hosea who was trying to comfort Arthur.

Upon seeing the man he tried to rob just the other night, Arthur throws himself into Dutch's arms and breaks down into hysterical sobbing. 

And after that fateful day Arthur had become a permenant fixture in their lives, and the three had become inseperable. So it should come as no surprise to Hosea when Dutch didn't know where Arthur was at all times. Which brings Dutch back to the current situation... Looking into his friend's eye's he starts to speak up, but a voice other than his own cuts through the air. 

"Oh Arthur has done went and got himself a lady!" Karen's loud bousterious voice calls out and Dutch grows immensely silent at the mention of Arthur. "Please don't tell me he's out seeing that Mary girl again..." At the mention of that name Dutch can feel Hosea's grip on him tighten in irritation. That was a subject the two of them could almost always agree upon. 

That girl had played with Arthur's heart and in the end she disowned him, just because of how the boy was and who he threw his lot in with. 

Karen starts to speak again with a giddy tone to her next words. "No, no not at all! It's that woman he brought 'round about a week ago, Charlotte I think her name was?" Dutch's eyes widen at the news as did Hosea's. When Arthur had brought along that woman he could tell that he liked her, but he didn't think Arthur was still seeing her. 

With a plan formulating in his head Dutch grabbed his things and started to exit his tent, Hosea hot on his heels. Making his way over to the slightly druken blonde, Dutch plasters on his most charming smile. 

"Ah Miss Karen, pardon me for the intrusion but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation." That was an understatement, she was being so loud it was a wonder Uncle wasn't woken from his druken stupor. Karen turns to the man addressing her and graces him with a mile wide grin. "Oh hey Dutch, yeah I was just telling the girls here about Arthur's new lady friend." She gestures to Tilly and Mary-Beth who are watching their friend with wary eyes.

The two probably knew Arthur had snuck off and didn't want to be apart of any of this. That was fine with Dutch. Karen was about to tell him everything he needed to know. 

"You mean Mrs. Balfour?" Dutch asks the girl while Hosea reaches out to pull Dutch away from the conversation, but Dutch stays rooted to his spot waiting for an answer. "Oh yeah! I just saw her and Arthur in Saint Denis-- Hey where are ya off to?" Dutch doesn't even listen to the rest of the conversation as he quickly dismisses himself from the women. 

Approaching the horse's hitching post he is greeted with a loving nudge from his mount. Giving him an affectionate pat on his neck, Dutch pulls himself in the The Count's saddle. In his hurry to leave he didn't even notice the other set of hoofbeats following along behind him. 

Looking over his shoulder he is met with Hosea's disapproving blue eyes. Quickly reaching Dutch's side, Hosea starts with the guilt trip. "So whats your grand plan here hmm?" Dutch actually has the decency to look ashamed at his hasty actions, and looks anywhere but at Hosea's eyes. "I just wanna make sure he's okay Hosea..." He offers quietly and Hosea just shakes his head as Silver Dollar and The Count trot down the path.

Hosea knew that Dutch was just worried, but he didn't want him to come between Charlotte and Arthur. Hosea saw it when they met the woman. The two of them shared something special, and it closely resembled what he and Bessie once had. 

What he and Dutch now have. 

Reaching over Hosea rests a hand on Dutch's arm. "How about this... We can keep an eye on him from a distance making sure no one gets near them, and we won't need to embarass the poor boy any further." At the offer Dutch slowly nods and turns to look at his friend. "Alright I think I can live with that." Hosea grins in victory as he takes back his hand.

"Good that should put your old heart at ease..." He teases as he starts Silver Dollar into a gallop towards Saint Denis, with Dutch's indigant calls following behind him.

{Time Skip} 

With matching grins both Hosea and Dutch exited the bar with full pockets each. Late into watching out for their boy they were lead into a fairly expensive looking tavern and couldn't help themselves from relieving some of the rich folk of their wealth. They must have been there for longer than they had thought, seeing as how on the way out the door they were intercepted by Arthur and Charlotte themselves.

The grins quickly fell off both their faces as they were being stared down at by Arthur and a smiling Mrs. Balfour. 

They must have seen them when they were caught up in their little con game. Now the plan had been flipped around on the duo. "What the hell are you two doing following me?" Arthur throws out with no preamble, which has them both mentally reeling. You would think being raised by two slick conmen, you would have picked up their flair for dramatics. 

But not Arthur. He was always quick to the point with no bullshit.

Before Dutch can open his mouth Hosea steps forward and tries to salvage the situation as best he can. "Oh Arthur, Mrs. Balfour!" He greets them ignoring Arthur's previous question. "Charlotte, Mr Matthews." Charlotte correct's him and he smiles at the girl beside his dear boy. 

"We had just decided to head into the city looking for a few "business deals" I suppose you could say." He gestures behind them at the bar and isn't at all surprised to see Dutch hiding behind his smaller frame. "Uh huh. So thats why we saw you two tailing us all around town today?" At that Hosea stops, maybe they had tought Arthur too good over the years.

So with no other plan in mind Hosea whistles for his horse, Dutch quickly following suit. When the two mounts round the corner the two men mount up quickly. "Well I would love to stay and chat, but we are very busy today indeed. You two take care!" And with that they two men kick their horses into a full gallop out of town back towards Clemens point.

"We are getting too old for this Dutch." Hosea calls to him as they start to near their temporary camp. "For once I agree my friend. For once I agree."

AN ~ Wooo and here we are! So I had this in the back of my head for awhile now and I just now got around to it lol. Sorry if it seems rushed in some area's. I am still trying to slowly work into doing third person and I literally have no idea how to write Dutch/Hosea pairings. But never the less I hope you guys enjoyed!


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